Cinematic Excellence with Leitz Cine Zoom Lenses

Leitz offers two full frame lenses for cinematographers : 25-75mm T2.8 and 55-125mm T2.8. Both lenses are available in PL or LPL mount (the mounts can be swapped by the users) and they maintain a consistent aperture through the entire focal range. The Leitz zooms perform like prime lenses with an optical clarity and precision that is unique among zoom lens manufacturers. The inclusion of /i metadata allows both zooms to work seamlessly in modern workflows and with popular wireless systems to provide lens data to 1st ACs and video village.

Justin Wylie, cinematographer and Technical Director at rental house Shift Dynamics in Nashville, USA, said of the Leitz zooms, "Full frame zooms were a hole in our arsenal, and we wanted something to complement our Leitz Thalia lenses and intercut easily. There are plenty of clean, clinical full frame zooms out there, but we wanted something with character.

"More importantly though, we wanted zooms that weren’t going to give us the usual struggles and technical issues to overcome. They needed to be reliable for all our car-to-car work, have a good range for fewer lens changes, be parfocal so we didn’t have to continually futz with them on set, stay consistent through the aperture range for minimal adjustments when changing focal lengths, and offer enough depth of field to make people happy but not be too hard on assistants. The Leitz zooms check all the boxes while balancing those variables well. Providing lenses that deliver shot after shot, job after job, allows our clients to focus on making the right creative choices without worrying about the gear compromising that vision."

Designed with the cinematographer in mind, the Leitz zooms put a high value on representing skin tones in a faithful and beautiful way. Colors are clear and accurate, and the lenses exhibit no distortion or breathing. The lenses are designed with the focus, iris, and zoom ring locations consistent between the two lenses so that lens changes can be made quickly. Both have a 114mm front diameter for standard mattebox use and 112mm round filters can be screwed into the front of the lens to add creative looks or enable smaller camera builds without a mattebox.

The precision of German engineering is present in every element of the Leitz zooms, including their high-quality materials, precise focus marks, and each lens is manufactured in the Leitz factory in Wetzlar, Germany, the historic home of the Leica Camera brand and its predecessor for over 150 years.

Whether the user is trying to capture sweeping landscapes, intimate close-ups, or dynamic action sequences, filmmakers can trust the zoom lenses from Leitz to faithfully reproduce every detail with stunning accuracy and cinematic flair.

For the critically acclaimed film Cyrano by director Joe Wright and starring Peter Dinklege, cinematographer Seamus McGarvey, ASC, BSC used the Leitz zooms in combination with the Leitz Primes to capture the beauty of southern Italy. Said McGarvey, "What I love about the Leitz Primes and Leitz zooms is the absolute precision edge-to-edge combined with all the possibility of distorting them with filtration. It’s lovely to be able to start with clarity and do your intervention as you wish.

"When I first considered the Leitz Primes and Leitz zooms for Cyrano I didn’t think they would be appropriate for a period film with so much warmth and roundness. But when I saw the lenses on the Arri Alexa Mini LF I was surprised by their unique attributes. The soft roll off of focus was very appealing and their warmth was pleasantly unexpected. They also have this flare characteristic that I really loved. It’s what most attracted me to them. The lenses seem to attract light and are a bit subject to blooming, which creates this lovely opalescence when you have hot highlights in the frame. I used that flaring as the base on which to build the look for the film."

Cinematographer Chris Teague used the Leitz zooms on the hit Hulu series Murders in the Building. He also paired them with Leitz Primes. "Working quickly was going to be essential on this production and if we could spend most of our time on the zooms, then we could avoid downtime with lens changes. We shot about 60% of the series on the Leitz zooms.

"The Leitz zooms are T2.8 and I knew we could still get a very nice fall off at that stop with the Sony Venice at 6K full frame. When using lightweight zooms on previous Super 35 projects I always miss some of the focus fall off at medium and wider focal lengths, but with the 25-75mm and 55-125mm Leitz zooms at full frame I could still get a nice shallow look even at T2.8. Apart from the full frame format, I like working with the Sony Venice because I think the skin tones rendition is very strong and I love the way it handles highlights. These lenses and that camera work very well together."

In the world of filmmaking, every detail matters, and Leitz Cine Zoom lenses are the epitome of cinematic excellence. Combining precision engineering, optical brilliance, and unparalleled performance, these lenses are the ultimate tool for filmmakers who refuse to compromise on quality. Whether capturing epic landscapes, intimate moments, or heart-pounding action, Leitz Cine Zoom lenses empower filmmakers to unleash their creativity and captivate audiences around the world. With a Leitz Cine Zoom lens in the cinematographer’s arsenal, the possibilities are endless, and cinematic magic awaits.